You’ve seen the tattoos, the big hair, and that gravelly voice that sounds like it’s lived a hundred lives. But honestly, Jessie Murph before fame wasn't some polished industry plant waiting in a studio in Los Angeles. She was just a kid in a small town in Alabama, trying to survive high school while her phone was blowing up in a locker room.
It’s easy to forget she’s only 21 now. In 2026, she’s a household name, but just a few years ago, she was Jessica Murphy, an athlete at Athens High School who spent more time on the track than on a stage.
Growing Up in Athens: The Nashville Connection
Most people think she’s pure Alabama, but she was actually born in Nashville, Tennessee. Her parents were both musicians, so the house was never quiet. When she was about five, they packed up and moved south to Huntsville, and eventually settled in Athens, Alabama.
Athens isn't exactly a music mecca. It’s the kind of place where everyone knows your business, and if you’re doing something different, people talk. Jessie has been pretty open about how that small-town culture felt suffocating. She wasn't just some "quiet girl with a guitar." She was a multi-instrumentalist from the jump, messing around with the piano, guitar, and ukulele before most kids her age could even drive.
She didn't start out wanting to be a "social media star." She just wanted to be a singer.
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She kept notebooks. Pages and pages of lyrics—basically manifesting the career she has now before she even hit puberty. But in a town like Athens, being a "creative" can make you a target. She’s talked about the cyberbullying and the "shaming" that happened when she first started putting herself out there. It wasn't pretty.
The Cheerleader with the Raspy Voice
Here’s the part that catches people off guard: Jessie was a serious athlete.
If you look at the 2018 Alabama High School Athletic Association (AHSAA) records, you’ll find her name. She ran the 800 meters. She was on the 4x800 relay team. She was also a cheerleader. Imagine that for a second—the girl who sings "Wild Ones" with Jelly Roll used to be in a uniform on the sidelines of a Friday night football game.
The "big break" moment sounds like something out of a movie. She was literally coming out of cheer practice when she checked her phone and realized one of her song covers had gone viral.
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She didn't wait around. She ran home, covered more songs, and kept posting. She knew the window was open, and she wasn't about to let it slam shut.
Why Her Early TikToks Hit Different
While other creators were doing dance challenges, Jessie was sitting in her bedroom, looking raw and unfiltered, singing songs by Adele, Amy Winehouse, and Drake. You could hear the "country grit" mixed with a "trap-and-blues" influence that eventually became her signature.
She wasn't trying to be "country." She was just being a girl from Alabama who happened to love hip-hop and soul. That blend is what caught the eye of the industry.
The Bedroom Meetings That Changed Everything
The transition from Jessie Murph before fame to a signed artist happened during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Because the world was shut down, she wasn't flying to New York or LA for meetings. She was sitting in her bedroom in Alabama, taking Zoom calls with labels. Her mom—who, remember, was a musician herself—was right there next to her.
Her mom was basically her first manager and protector. She knew the "f---ery," as Jessie calls it, that happens in the music business. They vetted the labels together. In 2021, at just 16 years old, Jessie signed with Columbia Records.
Fact-Checking the "Overnight Success" Myth
- Real Name: Jessica Anne Murph.
- First Single: "Upgrade," released right after signing in 2021.
- The Struggle: She faced significant internet shaming from her own peers in Athens when her videos first started gaining traction.
- The Sound: She explicitly avoids being boxed into one genre, which is why her early work feels so experimental.
How to Apply the "Murph Method" to Your Own Path
Jessie’s rise wasn't just luck; it was a specific brand of persistence that anyone trying to break into a creative field can learn from.
- Ignore the Hometown Noise: If she had listened to the people in Athens who were making fun of her TikToks, she’d probably still be in Alabama wondering "what if." If you’re doing something new, your local circle is often the last to support you.
- Leverage Your "Odd" Mix: Jessie didn't choose between country and hip-hop. She did both. Your unique value usually lies in the intersection of two things that "shouldn't" go together.
- Document the Process: She started with vlogs and covers. She let people see her before she was "ready." Don't wait for a studio—use your phone.
If you want to dive deeper into her evolution, go back to her YouTube channel and scroll to the very bottom. Watch the early covers. You can see the exact moment she stops trying to sound like her idols and starts sounding like herself. That’s where the real magic happened.